A movement is afoot in the U.S. in the last few years to reduce the number of years it takes to earn a medical degree. Medical schools in Canada have long adopted the trend of the 3-year M.D. degree, and more and more of their stateside counterparts are making the switch. New York University’s Langone Medical Center  and Texas Tech University are two converts.

A medical degree traditionally takes 4 years to complete. Proponents say a 3-year degree would reduce student debt and could be a solution to the shortage of primary care doctors in the U.S. Opponents, however, say doctors should concentrate on completing the necessarily training and 3 years is just not enough time.

Guests:

Dr. Robert Pallay, MD, chair of the Dept. of Family Medicine at Mercer University School of Medicine’s campus in Savannah, GA.  

Dr. Gail Morrison, MD, Senior Vice Dean for Education at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Medicine